No one can help until they see pics of the room you're describing.

Um, if you want you can paint the brick white and put a wood shelf around it. You can also put a wood shelf on the fireplace to help brake it up. My neighbors did this and it turned out beautiful! They also added bookshelves around the fireplace.

I think your first task is to find a rug to set the tone for the room. You could have carpet bound in the size you need if you want to stay mono-chromatic. A tone on tone rug in cream, tan and chocolate might add a neutral but interesting touch. It only needs to be a couple of feet wider than the sofa unless you add new end tables that you want to sit on it too. I would keep it 12" away from the hearth though. Once the rug is found, if it has a variety of tones in it, use the darkest shade for your chairs. Be sure and take your tape measure with you so you can determine the right height on them. I don't think they should be taller than the sofa. I don't think the two chairs have to match, and it would be nice if one of them had a pattern to the fabric. Here is a mono-chromatic room, but with a touch of pattern and texture.

@BeverlyFLADeziner I am liking that! Any suggestions on a blue paint color? Thoughts on if this rug could be placed in the room? (Pic of our current family room) or too much blue? https://www.potterybarn.com/m/products/bosworth-tufted-wool-rug-blue/?cm_cat=Google&sku=9076063&catalogId=84&cm_ite=9076063&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0cX79KG96AIVOv_jBx1m0gEnEAQYASABEgLD-_D_BwE&cm_ven=PLA&cm_pla=Rugs > Patterned Rugs Any chance you could make fireplace maple again but keep everything else blue? I like the idea of keeping that to tie in to kitchen. Thank you!!